All You Need is Love
by S. C. Hardy
Summary: Lily spends the afternoon with her nine-month old son Harry James, and the two discuss dogs, girls, and life.


"Hmm…hmm…all you need is love, all you need is love, all you need is _love_, love, love is all you need…" Lily Evans-Potter sang as she washed the many dishes left in her sink. Being married to a man who was still such a _boy _often caused her to be stuck cleaning up his mess. _Especially_ when his silly marauder-like friends come over for some fun.

As she placed the last cup in the dish rack, a small tug on her cloak made her look down. Lily smiled brightly as her nine month old, Harry James Potter, climbed up her leg. 

"Slow down Harry," she said with a laugh, bending down to pick him up. 

Lily marveled at the sparkle in his large green eyes as he giggled in the amazement of being lifted so high above the ground. She had secretly hoped that her children would have her eyes, because though she loved James, children with red hair and gray eyes wouldn't look right, she believed. 

Though, Harry looked enough like James for her husband to be satisfied. His hair was black and long, falling down in front of his eyes. Lily had tried to give him a trim, but the next day, his hair was back to the length it had been. 

This didn't bother the Potters, however. James and Lily had been absolutely thrilled, actually, because this was the evidence they needed to prove that their son would one day attend Hogwarts. Even though all of their friends had told them not to worry, all first time wizard parents seem to be a bit anxious about their child's magic ability.

"How's my babe?" Lily asked Harry, bouncing him on her hip and heading towards the living room. It was a mess, because that dog Sirius had stayed over last night, because he was…well, he would've been _splinched _if he had tried to Apparate. 

Lily loved Sirius to death, but had warned James that this was _never_ to happen again, and when she threatened, her husband usually relented and agreed. 

The redhead had only allowed James to have Padfoot, Moony, and Wormtail over because it had been a tradition for the four of them to meet once a month, so to not lose touch with each other when they moved on with their lives (though only Prongs had actually settled down). 

Since Harry was born, James had not been able to host their little party. He had begged, pleaded, and even got down on his knees last week as he asked Lily to let the four have their gathering in Godric's Hollow. It took at least an hour of bargaining for Lily to agree, and now she was off diaper duty for two months. 

Harry shrieked happily as the doggy door flapped open, and their small brown and white beagle bounced in, barking madly. Lily rolled her eyes as Hedwig began to jump up in place, trying to reach her son. The dog never stopped barking, especially when she could smell Padfoot.

"Get down, you mutt," Lily said with a glare, though the dog knew not to take her seriously. "Your soul mate isn't here, just his mess." 

Hedwig yapped again, and with a roll of her eyes, Lily put Harry down on the rug, allowing him to chase the dog as well as he could on his hands and knees. He was a rather fast crawler, and his mother worried that he wouldn't learn to walk; he'd go straight to running.  

She watched as Hedwig ran away from Harry, and right into the invisible fence that was blocking the stairs. The fence, to stop the baby from climbing up the stairs, was invisible to anyone under three feet. Lily had forgotten to make arrangements for the dog. It was rather funny, now that she thought about it.

As Hedwig was now dizzy from her collision, Harry was able to catch her, hugging the dog around the neck with shrieks and giggles. The dog didn't mind though, she actually loved Harry very much and allowed him to pull on her tail and ears without baring her teeth.

Lily knew that the dog wouldn't _be _here if it wasn't for her patience, that they had only gotten it because James fell in love with it at a Muggle pet shop, saying that it reminded him of the good ol' days (Lily believed that this was a pathetic lie, but she let him think she believed it). 

"_Harry_, darling," Lily called, sitting on the couch and pulling her high ponytail tighter to her head. "_Harry_," she beckoned again. 

Her son, with a little reluctance, let go of Hedwig (who made her getaway through the kitchen) and made a slow approach to his mother. The redhead watched with amusement as her son took his sweet time in reaching her.

"Oh, so you'll run for that silly dog, but not for your loving, devoted, _beautiful_ mother?" she said with a laugh as Harry finally reached her. The little boy made a sound like a motor running with his mouth as Lily swept him up under his arms and onto her lap.

"I have competition, huh? Not your favorite girl anymore?" she asked, half expecting Harry to answer her. "Too bad you have to wait another fourteen years before you can have a girlfriend." Harry fell back against her with a soft squeak. 

"_Oh_ no, you're not going to act all dramatic with _me_, the rules of this house states that _no_ Potter will be allowed to date until they are _fif_teen, do you understand me young man?"

She waited for Harry to answer, and when he didn't, Lily looked down at her son. Harry was staring up at her with his large eyes with a stare that his mother could only interpret as "Yeah, like I'm going to listen to _you_." 

"My boy, dating is a _very_ serious business," she began, taking Harry off of her lap and sitting him next to her. He immediately began to crawl towards the arm of the couch, where he perched himself with his arms and stared out the window; he was waiting for his father to come home. 

"I'm sure your Daddy would disagree, as would that old dog Sirius," Lily sighed, leaning back into the couch and swatting Harry playfully in the diaper. He wore a tiny red shirt and just the diaper, and he giggled as she patted it again. "He broke a lot of hearts, Padfoot did."

At the sound of his godfather's nickname, Harry spun towards his mother, looking around the room for Padfoot. It was one of the few words he reacted too, others including Mama, Daddy, and magic. 

Lily smiled brightly as Harry's green orbs searched the room for Sirius, and then pouted right along with him as he realized that his godfather wasn't anywhere to be seen.

"No worries Harry," she said sweetly, motioning him to come towards her. As his eyes still searched the room, he made slight attempts at returning to his mother. "Padfoot is coming over this afternoon, he and Daddy are going to build a doghouse for Hedwig." Lily giggled softly as Harry crawled onto her lap. 

"I must place a Recording Charm on them, it'll be hilarious to watch, especially since they're going to attempt it with Muggle tools."

Lilly smoothed out her cloak, and opened her legs slightly so that the material in between them made a comfortable hammock for Harry. It was something her mother did for Petunia and her, and it seemed that her son enjoyed the seat as well. She placed Harry in the makeshift hammock and he began to slap his sock covered feet (they had little dragons embroidered all around them).

"Are you going to be a Romeo, my dear boy?" Lily asked, trying to smooth out her son's hair. Harry continued to smack his feet as his black locks shot back up into the air, making his mother sigh with impatience. "Not with that hair, you won't." A sly smile slid on her face though, and she poked her son in the nose, "Well…if your _father_ could pull it off…" 

Lily let out a delighted laugh, making Harry release a shrill giggle as well, falling back into the 'hammock.'

"Your father _is_ a handsome devil, but don't tell him I told you, his ego doesn't need to be inflated anymore." She bounced her legs softly, making Harry's eyes widen with excitement. Her hands made a barrier so he wouldn't fall, and she continued to shake him because of his obvious happiness.  

"Mmm…I can tell you're going to be a looker, maybe a bit awkward like your father was those first four years at school." Lily leaned back into the couch, still providing a fence for Harry, drifting off into her memories of Hogwarts. 

"He _was_ an odd looking pre-teen, actually. Very short and skinny, looking almost like an insect with those big glasses of his. I really hope you don't need glasses, sweetheart, but seeing as both of your parents do…"

She smirked with distaste and absent-mindedly pushed up her green trimmed glasses. Even though she only needed them for looking at things like reading, she still feared that the sights of his parents would cause Harry to need glasses. All Lily wanted for his son was a normal childhood…as normal as one could be with a godfather who rode a flying motorcycle. 

If Harry had to get glasses…well, she hoped that the students at Hogwarts would appreciate him for his magic abilities and not his looks. She remembered boarding the Hogwarts Express with her new glasses her fifth year and only James refrained from teasing her, which was one of the clinching reasons of her everlasting love for that scrawny Quidditch player. 

"You'll be a gentleman, won't you?" Lily asked, growing misty at the thought of James punching Sirius for a more than rude comment about her. Harry made a gurgling noise with a smile, and it was so charming that Lily cooed at him, "Oh _yes _you will be, yes you _will_!" 

Lily couldn't handle not holding her son anymore, so she reached under his arms and held her close to his chest, letting her nose bat with his. Harry grabbed both of her ears, not tugging with ferocity, but pulling softly as if it were a game. 

"My little Harry is going to be the _perfect_ gentleman, holding doors, never cursing, pulling a chair out for his lady friends…ow, let go of Mummy's ears, darling." Harry's little game had become a little rough, and now he was attempting to rip off the cartilage of her ears. 

When Lily pulled him off, Harry squealed and fell into her chest, lying happily.

 "A gentleman to all women but your mother, good job, Harry." She nuzzled the top of his head, placing her chin on top of it. "Hopefully your wife will be able to handle you as well as I handle your father."

"You _do_ realize that you'll only look good with a redhead by your side, don't you?" she said with a giggle, hugging him and kissing the top of his head. "It's just tradition, you've seen pictures of my parents, and I'll tell you, your grandparents looked_ just_ like your father and me." 

Lily tugged at his tiny toes, causing Harry to shriek with glee. He grabbed for her hand and she allowed him to take a strong grip on her pointer fingers.

"I know a family that has _tons_ of redheads, they actually had their first girl a few months ago, what do you say about a play date?" she giggled, thinking that the idea of arranging her son's love life even before he could walk was proposterous. "They're a very good family actually, the father, Arthur, works with Dumbledore and the…"

Lily paused, wrapping her arms around Harry again, this time lifting him so that his head rested on her shoulder. Why should she bother with details about the Order? Harry could barely understand 'stop' and 'go,' why try and explain that there's a wizard by the name of Voldemort who's terrorizing the entire population of England? 

Unconsciously, she stared out the window that Harry had been looking out before. She _hated _when James went to work, just because she _knew_ there was a much greater chance that he might not come back. Being an Auror was dangerous business, especially with a man who took as many risks as he did. Alongside Padfoot…Lily could only imagine the damage those two have caused. 

"Oh _Harry_," she whispered, running a soothing hand up and down his back. "All of the bad things will be gone by the time you go to Hogwarts, I _promise_. And all you'll have to worry about is making friends and passing Potions." Lily released a giggle as she wiped her eyes. 

"I've actually spoken to Severus since he began teaching, don't tell your father. Professor Snape _does_ want to meet you, because though he hated James, he and I were rather good acquaintances." 

Lily thought of the always-sulking Slytherin, wondering if James would mind if he were invited to Harry's first birthday. It would nice for Harry to get used to adults other than his parents and uncles. 

As Severus was ranked directly below she and James, he was a prefect…a prefect that terrified the first years. Lily had to watch over him many times, to make sure that he wasn't abusing his power. During those times they did talk, and laugh, which drove James _crazy_. But, James being the noble Gryffindor he was, he didn't make Lily feel horrible about associating with the 'greasy-haired git.'

"Yes, I think I shall invite him, as it _is_ in the summer and school's out." Harry clung to his mother as she stood up, heading back into the kitchen. 

With expertise only Lily Evans-Potter had, she pulled her wand out of her pocket and performed some elaborate charms, making the bread and deli meat create a tower of sandwiches. The clock in the living room had stated that James was coming from "Work" to "Traveling" and then "Home." Sirius' clock hand was trailing right behind her husband's. 

The two had to go through a couple of security systems before they could enter, and Lily knew them so well that she knew they would be starving.  She placed Harry in his high chair, letting him throw his bits of cereal at Hedwig (who was happily catching them in her mouth). 

As the last sandwich finished making itself, James and Sirius busted in, talking loudly with excitement. 

"Where's my lady?" James called, popping his head into the kitchen with a wide grin on his face. Lily simply rolled her eyes and began to set some plates and the cups on the table. She liked teasing her husband; ignoring him was the best way to do so. 

"Paffffffff!" Harry shrieked, knocking his entire bowl of cereal down and reaching out towards his godfather. Sirius immediately swept by James and kneeled in front of the high chair; Lily noticed a michivious glint in his eyes. 

"_Hullo_ there, Harry James, how are you today?" he asked, while tickling Harry's feet. The baby squealed happily and began to bang his fists on the table.

While Sirius kept Harry occupied, James made his way over to Lily, enveloping her in an extremely tight hug. Her face was buried into his chest (for he was a good six inches taller than her) and the way he was breathing made her wonder what horrible events happened out in the field. 

"Bad day?" she asked softly, peering out from under his arms to stare at Harry and Sirius. Padfoot was now taking Harry out of his seat with a caution that looked very odd on him. 

James nodded slightly, laying his chin on her head. He didn't need to say anything else, for Lily knew what must have happened, and she knew that he didn't want to talk about it. 

Sirius now held Harry with one arm, poking his stomach and nose while the baby giggled in delight. 

"Oy Padfoot," James said with heavy voice. "You're going to make him think that _you're_ his father." Sirius smiled his infamous charming smile.

"If he could grow up to look like me, then, well, I suppose he wouldn't mind that." 

Lily had to stifle a giggle, not because she agreed with Sirius, but that she thought the total opposite. Though Sirius _was_ a Casanova at Hogwarts, _James_ was the one that all the girls wanted in the long run. Padfoot of course, took her giggle the wrong way.

"_See_? Even your wife thinks so!" he said with a grin as James released Lily and reached for Harry. His son immediately stuck his arms out for him, and Prongs couldn't help but stick his tongue out at his best friend. Lily just stood, her arms across her chest, watching her three favorite men. 

"No, Sirius, I'm quite happy with my messy haired, glasses wearing, insect look alike husband." James didn't know whether to be touched or repulsed. Lily smiled however, rushing over to give both her husband and Harry a big hug.

"Aw…this is too cute to pass up!" Sirius exclaimed, and with his long arms he wrapped the three up in a hug, Harry screaming happily. 

When Sirius released them, Lily pulled back, tears stinging her eyes. James pouted, and handed Harry over to his godfather. Padfoot took Lily's sudden mood swing as a cue to exit, and he and Harry bounded out into the living room, searching for Hedwig.

"Come here…" James whispered, and he pulled Lily into another hug as she began to cry softly. "Everything's all right, see?" He took her left hand and brought it between their faces. Her wedding band glittered a magnificent yellow, indicating that James was fit and healthy. "It was just a long day."

"I know…but I don't _want_ any more long days," she cried, wiping away her tears. "I want you to be here all the time with Harry, he misses you _so much_ when you leave!" 

"I always come back, don't I?" James asked with a smile. Lily choked a small laugh and nodded. "So don't worry, okay?"

"I'm never going to stop worrying, you know that," she said, a teasing light in her eyes. James nodded and knocked their foreheads together, their eyes going out of focus as they stared deeply into their spouse's.

"That's all right, I don't mind at all."

It was then that a loud _BANG_ was heard, and Harry's shrill giggles and Hedwig's loud barks filled the house. James and Lily rushed out to the living room, and the two let out large laughs. 

Harry was laughing madly with his arm around Hedwig's neck. They sat beside Sirius, who was on the floor, rubbing his head, lying in front of Lily's invisible fence.

"No more crawling for you," Lily chuckled. Sirius just growled and sat up. James bounded over to his best friend and son, and lifted Harry up high over his head, spinning around. Hedwig jumped on Sirius and Lily just watched as he allowed the dog to lick his face.

_Yes_, she thought. _Everything_ is _all right. _


End file.
